


I'm Sorry

by TheArtisticIntrovert



Category: Hello Neighbor (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, based off alpha 3, let them be actual neighbors goddamn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 14:36:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10220417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtisticIntrovert/pseuds/TheArtisticIntrovert
Summary: Why can't they just be neighbors??? (Prompt: "Must you always do this?")





	

Jack wasn’t sure why he was doing this anymore. Sure, at first he was curious. His neighbor had a weird vault for a basement, and he seemed  _ extremely  _ intent on keeping him out, but that wasn’t really any of his business. He had been curious about the door, spending almost a week trying and failing to figure out what his neighbor was hiding.

 

At least then, it’d been fun. A challenge, get in and out without getting caught. Except........now, there wasn’t really a point anymore, was there? He’d found the keycard, pried off the bars, opened the door, and.....nothing. Nothing but a bottle of glue and a headache for his troubles.

 

In all honesty, he was just  _ tired.  _ There wasn’t anything nefarious in the basement. Sure, the neighbor tossed everything from tomatoes to bear traps at him, but he never actually tried to  _ hurt  _ him. Just knock him out long enough to get him back to his own house. He sighed, leaning against the window and looking out. His binoculars lay discarded on the floor next to his window, half-shoved under the bed. He could see the neighbor puttering about in the kitchen, seemingly making some food.

 

Jack frowned, scratching the back of his head and standing up again. “This is ridiculous....” he muttered, ambling off to his own kitchen and grabbing a box of store-bought cookies, tucking it under his arm before sliding on his sandals and heading across the street. He dodged the bear trap in front of the steps, ringing the bell. Almost immediately, the neighbor was there, one gloved fist raised threateningly when he realized who it was. “Look man, I’m just here to talk. No tricks. I brought cookies?” Jack offered, shoulders subconsciously tensing in preparation for a blow even as he held out the box.

 

The neighbor  _ (and boy, did Jack hope he could get a name soon, this was getting awkward)  _ eyed him suspiciously for a minute, but finally he took the box and motioned for Jack to follow. He blinked in surprise, stumbling inside after about ten seconds of shock. He followed the neighbor into the living room, dodging another bear trap and a creepy mannequin on the way.

 

“Sit.” The neighbor’s voice was gruff, and deeper than Jack had expected. Still a little on edge, he perched himself on the edge of an overstuffed couch, ready to run at a moment’s notice. “You wanted to talk. So talk.”

 

Jack swallowed nervously, balling his fists in the fabric of his sweatpants. “I-I guess I should start with an apology. I had no right to break into your house, and I’m really sorry. I......I was curious, but I guess.....I thought you were like, a murderer or something. I should’ve done the normal thing and just introduced myself day one,” he started off, staring intently at his knees. The neighbor was silent, and he tightened his fists subconsciously. “Maybe....Maybe we could start over? Be.....actual neighbors?” A long silence. Jack swallowed again, mouth suddenly dry. Anxiety roiled in his gut, making bile rise in the back of his throat. Finally, the neighbor made an affirmative noise. Jack let out a relieved sigh, loosening his fists slightly. “Okay. Okay.” He raked a hand through his hair, relaxing back against the couch. “I’m...sorry. My name’s Jack. Jack Tracy. It’s.....It’s nice to meet you,” he said, sitting up and offering a hand to the neighbor. He chanced looking up, and nearly flinched back at the stony look he received. In fact, he nearly took his hand back, jumping about two feet in the air when the neighbor took his hand and shook it firmly.

 

“Wallis. Wallis Ferguson. It’s........well, thank you for not breaking in this time.” Jack laughed, a soft, slightly bitter noise.

 

“Yeah, well......I got tired of scrubbing glue out of my hair.” Wallis snorted, the noise turning into a little giggle so very at odds with his appearance that Jack couldn’t help but blink. “Sorry, I just thought it was funny. I hated wasting all my good tomatoes, and bear traps really aren’t good for throwing.”

 

Jack grinned slightly, rubbing a thick scar on his arm from when one of the traps had nicked him. “Yeah, well, I appreciate you switching to glue. Swear I almost gave my sister a heart attack when I called her to stitch me up.” Wallis made a strangled noise, causing Jack to look over at him, confused. “You good?”

 

“You......didn’t go to a doctor?” he asked, voice quiet. Jack shrugged, though really it was more of raising and lowering one shoulder than an actual shrug.

 

“Doctors ask too many questions. At least with my sister, I could bribe her to keep quiet by promising to buy her a new DLC for one of her games. I didn’t want to get you in trouble, not when it was my damn fault I got hurt in the first place,” he said easily, leaning back into the couch again. Wallis was quiet for a minute, thinking.

 

“Must you always do this?” he asked finally, toying with the edge of one of his gloves. Jack tilted his head, confused.

 

“Do what?” he asked, straightening up a bit. Wallis chuckled dryly, crossing his arms and leaning back in his armchair.

 

“Make me question my decisions. When you first broke in, I thought it was a one time thing. Nothing was taken, and you left soon enough, so I put up a camera and thought that was the end of it.” He sighed, taking one of the forgotten cookies and staring at it like the eyewatering pink icing would give him the answers he sought. “But you just kept coming back. I got paranoid, not sleeping, not eating, obsessively putting out more and more cameras and traps, trying to catch you in the act.” He sighed, putting the cookie down on the coffee table. “Then you come in here and apologize, and say that you didn’t go to a hospital when you got hit with a bear trap because you were worried what would happen to  _ me.”  _ He huffed, giving Jack a sardonic smile. “It’s confusing.”

 

Jack shrugged, picking at a loose thread on his shirt. “It’s the right thing t’do,” he muttered, the tips of his ears going red. Wallis laughed, picking up the cookie again and taking a bite out of it. He swallowed before speaking again, some sprinkles getting stuck in his moustache.

 

“Well, thank you. And, Jack?” Jack looked over. Wallis chuckled, smiling genially. “Please stop breaking into my house. It’s a fairly expensive hobby to clean up after.”

  
Jack laughed, running his hand through his hair again. “Will do, neighbor.”


End file.
